Long Term Wildshape?

[Gryff]

I am looking for some educated opinions on the feasibility of long term wildshape. I am playing a 6/1 Druid/Natures Warrior with the extra wildshape feat. This allows 5 wildshapes per day for up to 7 hours at a time, effectively allowing the druid to remain in a particular shape for 35 hours or so. From various flavour text I had got the impression that once a druid could maintain 24 hours worth of wildshape he could, in effect, permanently change to a particular form if he so wished.
Now while this is good for flavour our GM thinks it may have a significant effect on some future traveling and wishes to lock down some rules for this. We accept there is nothing in the RAW on this so are seeking considered opinion with respect to balancing and gameplay.

The main reason this has come about is that the druid hates boats (also gets badly seasick), and wherever possible will turn into an aquatic form to swim alongside the boat (or possibly go ahead). I realise the likelihood of independent encounters, or just being eaten by the local dire shark, this doesn’t require any particular discussion (Unless you have a really cool way to make it safer for me to sleep). In the near future we will be required to take a very long journey by sea.

Points we need to address:

Firstly is this even feasible or should the GM require that every 7 hours or so the Druid must return to his normal form and re-use wildshape to regain his animal form.

If the druid can maintain a form continuously, will being asleep cause a problem. Related to this and the results of the first point, can I druid wake up after 7 hours, top up his wildshape, then return to sleep and still be consided rested?

Apparently (hey I don’t know, this came from the GM ), some aquatic animals don’t sleep like humans do (or even at all). Would this cause a problem with a druid resting enough to regains spells et al.

Any other related thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Darklone]

For the spells: You need to rest 8 hours, sleeping is not really necessary (you may be fatigued or exhausted afterwards, but you'll get your spells). Dolphins don't sleep (IIRC half of their brain does while the other half is active).

I don't see a problem with a druid staying in animal form(s) all day.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Firstly is this even feasible or should the GM require that every 7 hours or so the Druid must return to his normal form and re-use wildshape to regain his animal form.

I would require a druid to consciously activate his wildshape ability every 7 hours, but I would not require him to actually return to human form.

If the druid can maintain a form continuously, will being asleep cause a problem. Related to this and the results of the first point, can I druid wake up after 7 hours, top up his wildshape, then return to sleep and still be consided rested?

If the druid sleeps past the 7 hours, I'd change him back. Wildshape is not an always-on ability, so it'd need to be reactivated, as per question 1. So if he misses his time-limit, he changes back to human form, waking or asleep.

However, only arcane spellcasters need 8 hours of rest to regain spells. Divine spellcasters merely regain their spells once every 24 hours when they perform their daily prayer/meditation. So waking up every 7 hours or so to renew your Wildshape would not cause any spellcasting problems the next day. Of course, if your daily prayer/meditation has any special requirements (such as kneeling down in the direction of the rising sun, etc., you may need to return to human form for your 1 hour preparation period to get your spells back.

Apparently (hey I don’t know, this came from the GM ), some aquatic animals don’t sleep like humans do (or even at all). Would this cause a problem with a druid resting enough to regains spells et al.

No problems with spellcasting, but I would rule that when you do return to human form your lack of sleep catches up to you, so you'd either be fatigued or exhausted, depending on how long you'd gone without sleep.

 

[Salthorae]

aquatics

Just a note, sharks don't sleep either, if they do they'll drown. As for whether a character has to change back to his natural form at the end of 7 hours, I would agree with the idea to consciously activate the wildshape as far as flavor goes.

As far as actual mechanics I personally would want the character to change back at the end of his duration. Doing this reveals to everyone around what level of "Druidic mastery" the character has achieved. I guess that is kind of flavor also, but to me it makes sense to in some way differentiate between the 15th level druid and the 7th level druid. Being in China right now I don't have access to my books, but I think that the number of hours/shape is equal to level isn't it? If not then it would depend on where the cap is...